LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - A southern Alberta man has been given a life sentence for viciously attacking two aboriginal men — one of whom died — in an incident the Crown says was motivated in part by racism.

Bradley Francis Gray, 33, had originally been convicted of second-degree murder in the 2008 beating of George Many Shots in Lethbridge.

The Alberta Court of Appeal knocked that conviction down to manslaughter, but on Friday a judge still gave Gray a life sentence without a chance at parole for 10 years.

The Crown argued the sentence was merited because Gray had a deep-seated animosity toward native people in his neighbourhood.

"We're going to denounce, not only the offender, but deter others who might be inclined to take their frustrations out on groups of individuals, in this case, for ethnic reasons in part," prosecutor David Labrenz told reporters.

"The judge made it clear that this type of conduct could not be tolerated and he specifically referenced Lethbridge in that regard."

Court of Appeal documents say Gray and a neighbour were hanging out in his back yard late one evening when Gray started complaining about aboriginal people committing petty crimes in the area.

He told the neighbour he didn't think the police were willing or able to respond effectively.

Just then, Many Shots and his brother-in-law, Percy Panther Bone, walked past Gray's house. The neighbour testified the pair weren't doing anything, but Gray suddenly went after them and started punching and kicking Many Shots.

When Many Shots collapsed, Gray ran after Panther Bone, caught him and started beating him as well, though Panther Bone was eventually able to get away and make his way to a friend's house.

Court was told neither man resisted.

While Many Shots lay unconscious in the alley, Gray went into his house and put on a pair of boots, then returned and repeatedly kicked Many Shots.

He then broke a beer bottle beside the critically injured man, apparently to make it look like Many Shots and Panther Bone were fighting over booze and called police to report finding the man beaten.

EMS and police arrived and took Many Shots to the hospital, but he died of his injuries, which included multiple facial fractures, broken ribs, a lacerated liver and a ruptured abdominal artery.

Gray told police Panther Bone had carried out the beating, and police tracked him to the friend's home and arrested him. However, Panther Bone was himself suffering from a broken wrist, broken cheek bone and broken ribs, and told the officers they had been attacked by a white man.

According to Appeal Court documents, Gray complained to the officers who responded about how slowly they reacted when he had called them previously about a theft.

"Two Indians get into a fight and you've got the fire department, the police department here and you're here in no time," he told them.

Gray insisted at trial that he had not beaten either man and that Panther Bone and Many Shots had fought each other.

It took three interviews with police investigators before the neighbour admitted what had happened.

Gray's lawyer had recommended a sentence of five to eight years, but Gray addressed the court briefly Friday to say he would accept whatever decision the judge made.

The time Gray has spent in custody since his arrest in 2008 will be deducted from his sentence.

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10 Major Crimes That Shocked America (SLIDESHOW)

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On January 15, 1947, the remains of Elizabeth Short, were found in a vacant lot in Los Angeles. What made this discovery the stuff of tabloid sensation, however, was the Glasgow smile left on the aspiring actress' face--made with 3-inch slashes on each side. This, coupled with Short's dark hair, fair complexion and reputation for sporting a dahlia in her hair, dubbed her "The Black Dahlia" in headlines.
What followed was a media circus filled with rumors and speculation about the promiscuous 22-year-old's checkered past. What haunts theorists to this day, apart from the victim's uniquely nightmarish visage, is that the case remains unsolved after some 200 suspects were interviewed and ultimately released--making it one of Hollywood's most lurid legends.

"Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
And when she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one."
So goes the lurid nursery rhyme to one of the most mystifying crimes of the century. The nature of the deaths of Andrew J. Borden and his wife, Abby, are trumped only by the identity of the alleged perpetrator: their daughter, Lizzie.
Inexplicably found "not guilty" in contrast to the era's zeitgeist of swift justice, Lizzie's legacy--guilty or not--has become immortalized as one of the most perplexing cases of parricide in history.

In a case of mother-gone-mad that startled a nation, Andrea Yates, to her few friends and neighbors, was known as a mere recluse suffering from postpartum depression leading up to the birth of her fifth child.
That all changed on June 20, 2001, when she snapped, drowning five of her children in their home's bathtub.
She was convicted in 2002 of capital murder, carrying a sentence of life in prison with possible parole. As of July 2006, however, a Texas jury found her not guilty by reason of insanity.

Known as the "Long Island Lolita," Fisher became involved with Joey Buttafuoco in May of 1991. Shortly after the two began a sexual relationship (she, 16, while he, 35, was married with two children), his presence and influence in her life became all she cared for.
In what he's since denied to this day, Buttafuoco would go on to help an obsessive Fisher plan the murder of his wife, culminating in Fisher putting a bullet in Mary Jo Buttafuoco's head, but failing to kill her.
In the highly publicized trial that ensued, Fisher accepted a plea deal for 15 years in prison in exchange for a testimony against Joey, who faced and served out charges of statutory rape.

With a face that graced the covers of nearly every news and gossip rag during the winter of '96, it's hard to suggest the death of child beauty pageant queen JonBenét Ramsey had little effect outside the city of Boulder, Colorado.
Found dead from a blow to the head and strangulation in the family's basement, coupled with a ransom note left on the staircase asking for $118,000 (conveniently or coincidentally, nearly the same amount Mr. Ramsey received as a bonus that year), as well as no obvious signs of forced entry into the house, the evidence was overwhelmingly stacked against parents John and Patsy, who managed to maintain their innocence throughout the investigation.
The case reopened in 2010, but critics cite poor handling of the crime scene as obstructing what remains a mystery regarding the events of that Christmas day.

Tattooed with "Born to Raise Hell" on his arm, Richard Speck made good on his mantra through a history of violence, theft, alcoholism, and spousal abuse, but made his infamy known to all when, on July 13, 1966, he walked into a dormitory armed with a knife.
After leaving 8 student nurses dead in his wake, only one, Cora Amurao, was spared--hiding under a bed until 6 a.m.
Speck was found guilty of murder and died of a heart attack in prison. As one of the most press-worthy crimes of the decade, the grim events were used most recently as the backdrop for an episode of Mad Men.

Perhaps the most terrifying figure in American crime to have never actually killed anyone himself, Charles Manson founded a "family" of wayward individuals who hailed him as a prophet.
So strong was his manipulation, he ordered, on the night of Aug. 8, 1969, four of his followers to kill everyone at the residence of 10050 Cielo Drive--including Roman Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate, and her unborn child. Tate was stabbed 16 times, and her blood was used to write "pig" on the house's front door.
The next night, Manson accompanied six of his family to the residence of supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, only to help bind them before ordering their deaths.
In 1971, Manson and three of his fellow defendants were found guilty of murder in the first-degree and several other crimes. At the time, it was the longest murder trial in American history, spanning nine and a half months, as well as the most expensive, estimating $1 million.
Manson was denied parole for the 12th time in April 2012.

Used as the basis for an Agatha Christie novel (Murder on the Orient Express) and dubbed "the biggest story since the Resurrection" by famed journalist H.L. Mencken, the kidnapping and murder of aviator Charles Lindbergh's infant son continues to fascinate theorists today.
Charles Jr. was discovered missing from his second-floor bedroom on March 1, 1932, along with a note demanding a then-unimaginable $50,000, igniting a media frenzy like no other. The tabloid pandemonium prompted many tips and leads, but none as concrete as a package containing the boy's pajamas and another message demanding the ransom.
After some misdirection from the presumed kidnapper, Lindbergh's child was soon after discovered in the woods along a road near the family residence.
Notwithstanding the evidence stockpiled against the easily vilified illegal German immigrant Bruno Hauptmann (who was sentenced), speculation prevails as to the true identity of the caper responsible in this tragic tale of one of America's greatest heroes.

Still fresh in the minds of many and not to easily be forgotten, the trial of Casey Anthony turned Orlando, Florida into anything but the "happiest place on earth."
Following a series of lies, misdirection and manipulation by then-22 year old Casey, Caylee's skeletal remains were found five months into the investigation, setting the stage for what could only be described as the most incessantly publicized and shocking trial in recent memory.
The media had a field day that went on for months: Highlighting the young, pretty, party girl image used against her in court as the prosecution tore apart an aimless defense--or so it seemed.
After resorting to throwing her family under the bus, incriminating people entirely made-up ("Zanny the Nanny"), and fabricating elaborate stories for the police, Casey was found not guilty of murder due to evidence deemed mostly circumstantial and not meeting the burden of "beyond reasonable doubt," inciting much debate regarding whether true justice was served.

Known and heralded as the "trial of the century," former football star and actor O.J. Simpson found himself in the middle of the nation's biggest, most-televised trial following the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, but not before fleeing an all-points bulletin in his Ford Bronco with 20 units in tow, interrupting game 5 of the NBA Finals.
By enlisting a dream team including Johnnie Cochran, Robert Shapiro, and Robert Kardashian, the defense claimed Simpson was merely a victim of police fraud with regard to contaminated DNA evidence, while famously quipping "If it [the glove] doesn't fit, you must acquit."
On October 3, 1995, an estimated 100 million people from around the world tuned in to watch the jury hand down a verdict of not guilty, consequently resulting in an estimated loss of $480 million in productivity and inciting an ongoing discussion of race in the judicial system that continues to this day.

NEXT: Weird Crimes

Houaka Yang, 20, of Wisconsin, accidentally videotaped his confession and identified himself on tape with a camcorder he stole. Once the video camera was recovered, the victim uploaded Yang's clip to YouTube.

Luerissie Ashley Ross -- who is also a stripped called Pocahontas -- was arrested in February after she allegedly lured a man to his death and shot another in two robberies in Houston. Read more.

Clyde Hobbs was arrested in May, 2012 for allegedly calling 911 at least 17 times -- to talk dirty to operators. He'd been arrested several times in the past for the same crime. When cops arrived to collar him, Hobbs asked, "Are you here to arrest me again?" Read more.

Patricia Krentcil was charged with child endangerment for allegedly allowing her 5-year-old to use a tanning booth, but the New Jersey mom says the child got a sunburn from playing outside.
Read more.

Largo (Fla.) Police pulled over Kotelman allegedly for speeding and driving drunk on May 3. Cops checked the trunk and say they found a small monkey tucked inside.
Read more.

Latham, 22, allegedly got naked, stole a man's truck and then ran it into the front of a home at 50 mph.
Read more.

Sheriff's deputies in Albuquerque, N.M. arrested Joseph Hannah for allegedly posing a police officer. He's accused of pointing a gun at a group of teenage boys and allegedly urinated on a hat belonging to one of them. Two women told police that he pulled them over and flirted with them in separate incidents.
Read more.

Michael Baker was arrested after posting a Facebook photo of himself stealing gas from a police car in Jenkins, Ky.
Read more.

Ronaldo Silva allegedly broke out of a Brazilian prison by dressing in drag in April, 2012. He was caught less than an hour by a cop who noticed that he walked funny in heels.
Read more.

Ray Woods allegedly tied 89 bags of heroin and cocaine to his penis. When cops found him out, he reportedly urinated all over himself.
Read more.

Keith Fehr is accused of wearing a black dress and exposed himself to children at a park in Illinois.
Read more.

Raymond Foley, an IT guy at an insurance company in West Des Moines, allegedly peed on four female co-workers' chairs over the course of five months. The company installed surveillance cameras in April, 2012 when the women complained, and reportedly caught Foley yellow handed.
Read more.

Jesse James Thomas, arrested March 28 for public drunkenness, Thomas was wearing a sombrero when he jumped on an
officer's parked patrol car screaming his name, according to an account in the Sacramento Bee.
Read more.

William Bliss was arrested in March, 2012 after claiming four men made him carry a nuclear bomb -- while he was naked and drunk in the middle of an Iowa City street.
Read more.

Matthew Ibarria, a fugitive from Florida wanted for allegedly attacking a relative, was arrested after jumping naked from a car in Georgia. This dashboard video from a Kingsland Police Department vehicle allegedly shows him running away.
Read more.

Jacob Lee Bovia is facing real indecent exposure charges for exposing his fake genitalia to a group of women on Maryland's Anne Arundel Community College campus.
Read more.

John Jardini, 26, of Pittsburgh allegedly robbed a woman for $60 -- and then asked her out on a date by cell phone. The "love" story gets worse. Read more here.

Jason Engel, 21, of Pittsburgh, was arrested after he skipped a court hearing on charges that he stole $400 from a 2-year-old's piggy bank. Read more here.

Former Elvis impersonator Michael Conley blamed his diabetes for starting a standoff with Florida police, in which he threatened to use a weapon of mass destruction against them. He allegedly held up a vial of what he called Ricin -- a highly potent toxin -- as he barricaded himself in a motel in February, 2012. He was arrested about four hours later. Read more here.

Barker called 911 repeatedly in Hudson, Fla. asking them to fetch him a taxi and saying that he lost his football. Cops arrested him for allegedly misusing the emergency system on Feb. 20, 2012. Read more here.

Those who attempt to arrest Mark Loescher have their work cut out for them. When he was arrested for assault, he not only told officers that he was Elvis Presley's brother, a friend of President Bush, and director of the CIA, but he was also half-orangutan. Read more here.

A Martin County sheriff's deputy in Florida arrested Ramon Blair, 28, based on tips from informants that Blair would have hundreds of dollars of crack cocaine "on his person." An initial search turned no results, but a more thorough search while in custody revealed that Blair had hidden the crack in, well, his crack. Blair was told to undress, squat, and cough -- and police found what appeared to be a white piece of paper in his buttocks, which contained crack cocaine. Read more here.

Clothes be darned: Verdon Taylor was arrested in February, 2012 for allegedly stripping naked in the parking lot of a Walmart, walking inside and putting on socks, then shopping. Almost needless to say, he was eventually Tased. Read more here.

Portland, Ore. couple Nikolas Harbar and Stephanie Pelzner were arrested on Valentine's Day, 2012 after Harbar allegedly bound his naked girlfriend and threw her in the back of a car -- in the pursuit of a sexy role-play romp. Cops, after a long search, found that Pelzner wasn't a kidnapping victim, but that both were disorderly conduct suspects. Read more here.

Misty Lawson, 30, a self-described "professional baby maker" on her Facebook page, allegedly punched her son in the face and body several times during an in-home, state-mandated anger management course. Read more here.

Harold Wayne Hadley, Jr. was arrested in February 2012 for allegedly threatening to blow up his Mississippi school -- but he maintains it was a fart joke. He allegedly wrote, on a piece of toilet paper, that he "passed a bomb in the library." He was held on $20,000 bail. Read more here.

He had a real sweet tooth. Cops say they found 22-year-old Andrew Toothman lying down inside Kentucky Food World IGA market on Feb. 2, completely covered in chocolate and peanut butter. He'd also allegedly written "Sorry" in NyQuil on the floor. Read more here.

Rogue cuddler Agustin Sanchez allegedly snuck into his ex-girlfriend's home and crawled into bed with her for a snuggle. The spooning attempt was thwarted, however, when the woman notified police. Read more here.

Timothy Clark probably didn't think his plan through when he allegedly shoplifted from a Wal-Mart at the same time that police were holding their "Shop With A Cop" charity event.
Read more.

Oneal Morris is accused of posing as a doctor and filling a women's buttocks with cement, mineral oil and flat-tire sealant.
The woman wanted to work at a nightclub and searched for someone who could perform plastic surgery at a cheap price to give her a curvier body.
Police say Oneal was was born a man but identifies as a woman.
Read more.

Police in Illinois say that Olivia Ornelas blamed her DUI and crashed vehicle on her boyfriend's failure to take her, as he promised, to the new "Twilight" movie.
Read more.

Authorities in Georgia found Ranaldo Jack stuck in a woman's chimney. He was charged in connection with an attempted burglary.
Read more.

Marsia Emanuel allegedly flagged a school bus in Winter Haven, Fla., boarded and beat the bus driver in front of her daughter, a student riding it already. Cops found Emanuel later at home where she dropped her underpants in front of them, they said. It's unclear what was her motive.
Read more.

Investigators in California are trying to track down a man who robbed a bank armed with pesticide. The suspect appeared to be carrying a black semi-automatic handgun and a plastic container of pesticide when he held up the Pacific Western Bank in Rancho Santa Fe on Nov. 4, 2011.
Read more.

Police in Florida arrested Karen Henry, 45, after she allegedly threatened her 80-year-old father with a knife for not sharing his potato salad.
Read more.

This camouflage might work well in nature, but it really stands out in the police station. Oregon investigators believe Gregory Liascos, 36, was wearing this "ghillie" camouflage when he attempted to break into the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals last week. After setting off alarms, the suspect allegedly fled into a wooded area nearby. Officers only found Liascos when a police dog bit what appeared to be a patch of grass -- which yelped in pain. On Oct. 12, 2011, authorities said Liascos failed to show up for his trial. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Sheriff's deputies in Pinal County, Ariz., say Albert Tejeda's unique tattoos -- and his lengthy rap sheet -- leave him with a face they'll never forget. After Tejeda allegedly fled during a traffic stop, deputies claim they knew exactly who they were looking for and later found the 31-year-old walking around Casa Grande with a samurai sword.

Even if Juan Aguirre got away, he would have ended up empty handed. Police said the 21-year-old Kansan stole six empty DVD boxes from a local adult entertainment shop.

Josephine Smith is seen in this booking photo from the Pinellas County Jail. Smith was arrested after allegedly attacking and biting a piece of skin off a homeless man in St. Petersburg after proclaiming "I am a vampire, I am going to eat you".

Edwin Tobergta, 32, is seen in this booking photo from the Butler County Sheriff's Office. Tobergta was arrested after allegedly having sex with an inflatable pool raft.

It's not easy to be the most most memorable visitor when thousands of NASCAR fans come to town, but West Virginia's Joshua Greene made a pretty good run for that honor when police caught the streaking 27-year-old with a raccoon in his car.

We're not saying there's guilt written all over his face, but Ismael Ambrosio is seen in this Aug. 9 booking photo from the Pinellas County (Fla.) Jail with a facial tattoo that could not have pleased police officers.

The hand of justice makes an appearance in this mug shot. Nichlous Peternik -- and the arm of a law enforcement official in Redding, Calif. -- are featured prominently in this memorable booking photo taken after Peternik was arrested on suspicion of burglary. Officials say they were forced to reach into the frame when Peternik refused to pull his hair back from over his face.

An Australian man caught driving a motorized cooler box through a beachside resort town appeared in court charged with drunk driving, The Courier Mail reported Monday. Christopher Ian Petrie, 23, faces charges of driving under the influence and driving without a license after police caught him on the makeshift vehicle, which was powered by a 50cc engine.

Cory Smits, 29, is seen in this booking photo from the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department. Smits was found guilty July 7 on his fifth offense of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

This booking photo from the Shasta County Sheriff's Office in California shows Patrick Francis Brooks and his obscene tattoo after his July 11 arrest on charges of burglary, receiving stolen property, forgery and violating the terms of his parole for a previous conviction.

Mark Anthony Richardson Jr. wore diapers and faked being autistic to get women to babysit him. He was sentenced to three years in prison in July 2011 for groping an 18-year-old daughter of one of the conned nannies.

Levon T. Sarkisyan, allegedly broke into a Connecticut home and smashed statues and furniture, because he claimed God told him to do it, according to police.

Police in Phoenix, Ariz., have accused Randon Reid of the crime of flight -- and a crime against flight. Investigators say the 26-year-old suspect opened fire on an airplane parked at Deer Valley Airport, then fled from authorities who tried to pull him over. He has reportedly been charged with felony flight and driving under the influence.

Holy handcuffs! Police in a smog-clotted town in northwest Michigan are touting the arrest of Batman. The legendary caped crusader was reportedly nabbed while dangling from a 30-foot-high building. The unmasked superhero wannabe is actually a local resident named Mark Wayne Williams.

Some people have guilt written all over their faces, and others, like assault suspect Robert Norton Kennedy, have apologies tattooed across their foreheads. A booking photo released by the authorities in Horry County, S.C., appears to show the 51-year-old sporting a facial tattoo that reads: "Please forgive me if I say or do anything stupid. Thank You!" (Read More)

A South Carolina man who twice pleaded guilty to having sex with a horse has been released from prison and put on probation, under the condition that he keep his distance from the horse. Rodell Vereen, pictured in this file photo, was released from prison after serving 16 months.

It was almost a kiss of death. Deputies in Florida say 92-year-old Helen Staudinger opened fire on her neighbor's house after the much younger resident refused to give her a kiss. Investigators at the Marion County Sheriff's Office claim Staudinger refused to leave 53-year-old Dwight Bettner unless her neighbor gave her a kiss. She allegedly returned with a gun.

It's always best to practice what you preach. Police in Florida say they arrested the former president of a local chapter of Mother's Against Drunk Driving for driving under the influence. Debra Oberlin has been charged with drunk driving for the Feb. 18 incident.

Police in Michigan say a man claimed he was royalty before trying to steal a pack of Marlboros from a 7-Eleven. Joseph Lawrence Borowiak is charged with strong-arm robbery and resisting arrest after allegedly wrestling a store clerk over a pack of cigarettes. Borowiak reportedly stated, "The king doesn't pay for cigarettes."

Jerome Smith's forehead says he's a "Genius," but police say he wasn't being smart when he allegedly struck a pregnant woman with a handgun. The Cincinnati, Ohio, resident is accused of repeatedly pistol-whipping a woman who was eight months pregnant in late January.

When police caught 87-year-old Leo Earl Sharp allegedly transporting 228 pounds of cocaine, the suspect told them that he was forced "at gunpoint" to transport the drugs.

Andrei Bibbs, 54, of the 3000 block of Coopers Grove Court, was arrested Jan. 7 Illinois State Police and charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol. He was clearly shocked by the change.

Belton lost his wig, sunglasses and $115,000 worth of casino chips when security wrestled him to the floor during a botched weekend heist, according to authorities.

Tiffany Pocock, 27, of Bellevue, Ohio, spat blood on the cops who were arresting her in late May 2012. After being detained for driving a vehicle while impaired, Pocock also began banging her head repeatedly against the door of the police vehicle, sustaining personal injuries that resulted in her hospitalization.
Read more.

Dylan DiFalco told a Sheriff's deputy he had to urinate and, when the cop told him he'd have to wait, he peed in the cop car, according to an arrest report. "I told you I had to go you stupid cop," Difalco said, according to the report.

Hodges, 20, of Florida, allegedly fled to a nudist colony and threatened residents there after committing an armed robbery at a nearby Lowe's. The fully-clothed Hodges was reported to have been easily identified by his pursuers in the naked environment.

Shelby, 53, was arrested in South Florida on June 1, 2012 for driving without a license -- immediately after leaving a courthouse after he appeared for the same offense.

Okrzesik is accused of helping to kill 19-year-old Juliana Mensch in March. She allegedly sent incriminating text messages and conducted fishy Google searches implicating herself in the crime.

Karoly is accused of choking her boyfriend because he refused to marry her so she could get a new Visa.